Soccer Player Injures Himself Celebrating His First Pro Goal

An impressive goal by a young striker was followed by an equally impressive rookie mistake on Wednesday.

After scoring his first professional goal, 19-year-old Internacional striker Maurides Roque Junior went into an elaborate cartwheel-backflip celebration—a celebration that ended in a sprained knee and the striker being carted off the field on a stretcher.

The celebration began in the 88th minute of the game. Internacional was in control, up 2-1 over America MG in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil contest.

A solid cross was placed into the America box. Maurides managed to put a head on the ball and wound up with his first big-boy goal.

What’s a young guy to do? Celebrate like crazy, clearly.

Maurides went into a multipart routine, sucking on a pacifier (because he’s a baby in the game, and all) before launching into his finale—floor gymnastics.

Planting his hands on the ground, Maurides pulled off an effortless cartwheel followed by a backflip. The display was quite impressive until the young striker landed, at which point he bunny hopped sideways and toppled over in pain.

This is the face of a man who just realized he sprained his knee celebrating a soccer goal:

As stated, the reports are a sprained knee—no picnic, but it could be much worse.

Great goal, Maurides, but next time either stick the landing or maybe just go for something safer like a corner field slide.